Paul D. Shinkman, US News- Jim Mattis, the former commander of all Middle East wars, now secretary of defense, said on Tuesday the U.S. is not winning the war in Afghanistan.
The new admission from the retired Marine Corps four-star general comes as Congress grows increasingly impatient for a new strategy from the Trump administration for America's longest war, as Taliban insurgents continue to regain ground and increase power, including launching coordinated attacks on American troops and journalists in recent weeks. RELATED CONTENT People watch the news about the ground-to-sea cruise missile in Pyongyang, capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, on June 9, 2017. Mattis: N. Korea the Greatest U.S. Threat
Mattis' comments were in response to an inquiry from Sen. John McCain, the chairman of the powerful Armed Services Committee, before which the secretary testified Tuesday next to Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Arizona Republican chided the Defense Department for not yet presenting its plan for the war in Afghanistan despite submitting a budget request that calls for a $54 billion increase in military spending.
"We're not winning in Afghanistan right now," Mattis said in response to questions from McCain. "We'll correct this as soon as possible."
No comments:
Post a Comment